Top Cutting-Edge Gadgets to Check Out in 2011

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NEW YORK CITY - The gadget industry in 2010 was all about
introducing sleek, slim and cutting-edge new hardware, but 2011
is the year of intuitive, seamless and innovative software,
according to experts at the Consumer Electronic Weeks conference
here.

Tech experts gathered on Wednesday (June 22) as part of a
weeklong conference to discuss the hottest game-changing gadgets
of this year.

“Last year we were getting used to the iPad and the idea of
tablets as a viable device,” said Joshua Topolsky, tech expert
and former Engadget journalist, during a panel discussion.
“However, the main focus in 2011 is software and seeing what the
tablet can really do.”

Panelist Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief of
LAPTOP Magazine (a sister site to TechNewsDaily), agreed that
software has taken center stage in 2011, with more companies
trying to up the ante to compete with Apple. Beefing up software
content has even made its way to streaming media and online
gaming.

“Since streaming media and
OnLive gaming is extremely convenient to view on mobile
devices, it has put a lot of pressure on cable companies to up
software and the way it looks,” Spoonauer said. “The presentation
is critical in getting people to adopt these devices.”

The session’s moderator Clayton Morris, host of "Fox &
Friends" on Fox News, noted that TV is losing viewers by
producing content that some feel isn't worth $100 a month.

“Sites such as Netflix and Hulu or even a la carte downloadable
episodes on iTunes or Amazon is becoming more worth it to
consumers than cable,” Morris said. “More people are turning to
Apple TV and services with integrated Wi-Fi.”

Panelist Andrea Smith, news and technology producer of ABC News
Radio, also noted that youth today no longer place the same
emphasis on cable as they have in the past.

“When kids go to college, the first thing they wanted to know is
if the cable was hooked up,” Smith said. “Now, as long as they
have Netflix on their Xbox and their paid Hulu subscriptions on
their iPhone
or
iPad, they are happy.”

More gadgets

Health-related gadgets and technology are also picking up steam
this year. From scanning bar code information on a prescription
bottle for more medical information to downloading
apps that monitor fitness and health data, consumers are
eager to use their devices to stay on top of their health.

“The boomer generation is especially embracing this trend with
the health of apps that monitor, track and help them look after
aging parents when they can’t be there 24/7,” Smith said. “It
takes a huge burden off their shoulders. Although people have to
seek out medical providers that take part in this, more
physicians are jumping on board.”

Test programs are hitting the market that allow patients to
receive medical information in new ways, such as getting text
message reminders when it is time to take their medications.
Meanwhile, as consumers become more tech-savvy, they expect the
same from their physicians, the experts said.

Although most doctors still don’t use email to communicate with
patients, younger doctors are starting to use this method more.

“Monitoring health in this way is more evidence that technology
is really becoming a part of everyday life,” Topolsky said.

Faster and sharper

Another hot topic in the gadget industry is growth of 4G – the
fourth generation of cellular wireless standards – which is
expected to become more widespread in the later part of the year.

“A lot of people still have questions about 4G and what it even
means, but this will likely change in time,” Spoonauer said.
“Verizon offers far and away the best speed on the market right
now. It’s amazing that a phone can download between 5 and 12
megabits each minute. If I want to update a high-definition
video, it takes about a minute or so and not ten minutes. It’s
power and speed like this that changes the way we use the
Internet.”

Not surprisingly, panelists agreed that the faster, slimmer iPad
2 is the most remarkable game changer in 2011.

“There’s not another tablet or company making a compelling
argument right now to make you want something other than the
iPad,” Topolsky said. “It all comes back to the software, and if
you use an iPad in an Apple store, you feel really connected to
that device.”

“When using the Honeycomb tablet, consumers don’t get the same
connected experience,” he added. “[Hewlett-Packard] is a
contender to grow market share, but they still have a big battle
ahead of them.”

Panelists agreed that one of the major challenges with Honeycomb
is its limited number of apps, with only about 60 currently
available for download.

Another tech gadget that the panelists expected to be a big game
changer moving forward is the
Wii-U, the successor to Nintendo’s popular Wii gaming system,
which is expected to have an iPad-like touch screen controller.